Monsters, Melee, Magic and Making Out
by Cobra Cosmos
Summary: A dangerous beast is loose in the forests outside Camelot and Arthur and Merlin try to hunt it down.  A basic romance story about Merlin and Arthur discovering their feelings for each other, plenty of explicit desc included.  New: chapter 2 on Oct. 25.
1. Chapter 1  A Beast in the Forest

It was the twelfth day they had spent searching for the beast. Arthur crouched down to the ground, picked up a snapped twig and gazed off eastwards.

"It came through here recently, we're close."

While this news should have brought hope to the weary party, they remained solemn, quiet in their exhaustion. They had seen signs like this before: claw marks on a tree, urine sent on a shrub, even the carcass of a freshly killed deer. Each time, it seemed that the monster must be in the next clearing of trees, yet here they were, still searching through thick brush in the dark forest of Elther.

Merlin noticed a concerned look on Arthur's face.

"What's the matter?"

"Up ahead is Creekmore pass, the only way through the steep valley, but it is just a day's travel south to the village of Lowell. The beast could have gone through the pass, but it may have caught the scent of the village. If that is so, the villagers are in danger and will need protection."

Arthur carefully studied the faces of the four men accompanying him, read clearly the exhaustion on their faces and realized that they would not last very long along the steep and gruelling Creekmore pass.

"Alright, our first duty is to protect Lowell, but we must also catch this beast. Therefore we will split up. John, Erol, Tywin, and Shawn, you will go to the village with all haste, take the horses to get you there as quick as you can and mount a defense against a possible attack from the beast. If you can, send news back to Camelot about our progress. Merlin and I will continue East through the pass and see if we pick up a trail, if we don't, we shall see you in Lowell shortly."

Merlin just about collapsed right there, he was tired, wet from rain, and in dire need of a bath. Every muscle in his body ached from the gruelling pace they had set, and now they were to go through Creekmore pass, a steep and treacherous trail with no sign of a village or bed for days. As much as he wanted to follow Arthur, keep him safe, and also catch the murderous beast they were following, he was also truly fed up with his servant duties on this trip. They hiked all day, and while the men rested, it was him who had to light the fire, cook the evening meal and then polish Arthur's armor.

"Perhaps, I should head back with the rest, to, you know, lend a hand." Merlin said hopefully.

Arthur shook his head, and smirked.

"C'mon Merlin, don't be a chicken. We'll probably be joining them in a couple of days, anyways. Besides, you never know, you could prove to be useful bait for the monster while I cut it down."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

But Merlin knew that he was already resigned to going with Arthur. Really there was no other choice, destiny and all...

The next morning, the rest of the men headed south while Arthur and Merlin started to make their way to the ridge of the valley. That first day was pretty uneventful, but by the late afternoon the climb started to steepen, winding its way up the valley slope. By evening, they were up much higher than they had been when they started, and the crisp fall air had turned sharp and cold.

They set up camp under a rock bluff and Arthur loaded his crossbow in an attempt to go find some game for dinner. Merlin huddled around the kindling he had gathered, and checking to make sure Arthur was nowhere in sight, concentrated and said, "Aestus Estus." His eyes glowed with the brief light of supernatural power and the tinder erupted in flame. By the time Arthur returned, Merlin was sitting on a rock by the roaring fire, warming his hands at its edges.

Arthur tossed him a bloody hare. "Here, something for the stew pot."

Reluctantly, Merlin drew himself away from the warm flames, and started to clean the hare, his hands chilling quickly from the wetness of the task.

While at his job, he turned to Arthur to distract him from the chill. "Will we climb much higher along this pass?"

"Not sure, as I see it the path could follow the valley's edge or dip down into the valley itself."

"You mean, you don't know where we're going?"

"Well, not exactly. But I do know we're going the right way."

"What do you mean?"

"While out just now I found tracks, they were too big for a bear or wolf. They were probably half a day old."

Merlin couldn't help but check his surroundings as Arthur said this, he didn't want to be caught unaware by the beast. It had already slaughtered half a village outside Camelot, and the sight of that terrible destruction was still fresh in his mind.

"Well at least we know it didn't head towards Lowell." Merlin said.

"Yes, that's right. Maybe we can catch it tomorrow - that is if we get any rest tonight. By the time you're done with that hare I fear it will be morning."

Merlin smiled, turned back to his work, and Arthur removed his armor so he could warm himself by the fire.

While Merlin was watching the stew boil, the pieces of hare cooking with the edible greens he'd found, he also watched Arthur's face. He had come to know his moods very well over the course of their friendship. After all, if he was to protect Arthur from harm, he had to recognize when something was troubling him, perhaps even before Arthur did. The light of the fire highlighted the angles of his face, his strong chin draw in tight, his lips heavy with worry. Even his eyes were made more brilliant by the light of the fire, the red flames contrasting their blueness as if a fierce war raged between them.

"Arthur, if we catch the beast, do you think we will be able to slay it? I mean, it went up against a whole village and won."

Arthur sighed, obviously distressed by the reality of their situation: tired and cold, tracking a dangerous beast that could kill them in a wilderness that most likely would.

"We will have to Merlin. We can't let it survive out here, preying on helpless people and then running back into the wild where it's hard to find. That alone tells me that it must have a weakness, the fact that it's being careful. It doesn't want to be caught."

"Yes, I suppose," said Merlin, although he wasn't so sure of Arthur's confidence, "it could be though, that it isn't running from us, but leading us. Tiring us out for the fight that is yet to come."

"It's just a beast Merlin, the woods often make men attribute intelligence to beasts where there is none. But it is simply a wild animal, running from its hunters. It's as though we're chasing a fleet footed fox, nothing more."

".. a blood-thirsty ten tonne fox with poisoned claws and teeth as big as my head." Merlin added.

"Right, well, I didn't say it would be an easy chase."

Arthur smiled and Merlin couldn't help but returning the gesture. When Arthur smiled, his whole face lit up and that was when Merlin could really see the King that he would someday be: noble, kind and beautiful.

After supper, they bedded down as close to the fire as they could get. The cold nipping at whatever side faced away from its protective heat. Soon though, they fell asleep, exhausted from their travels.

Arthur wasn't sure how long he'd slept when he woke up, it was still the dead of night, the moon high in the sky. He was so cold, shivering in his bed roll. The fire had died down to a few glowing embers, and the heat it supplied was smothered by the chill of the night air. He thought he should light a fire again, but he couldn't bear to get himself out of his bedroll, afraid to feel the cold air fully against him. He noticed that Merlin was huddled up, forming a ball of himself in an attempt to keep warm. His eyes were shut, but his face showed the pain of the cold as well. Having been trained in outdoor survival, he knew that body heat shared was an effective barrier against freezing to death. And the thought of dying out here, silent and forgotten, truly terrified him. He inched himself over to Merlin and angled himself against his back. Arthur could hear Merlin chattering in his sleep, and he could see bits of frost on the edge of his hair. Arthur undid the tie at the back edge of Merlin's sleeping roll, and then undid the tie on the front of his. He inched closer to him, pulled their two rolls together and tied them shut. Already he could feel the relief of Merlin's heat against his legs and chest. He left a couple of inches of space between their bodies, out of a modesty he did not want to dwell upon, and settled in as comfortably as he could.

After a few minutes, Merlin stopped chattering, and seemed to relax. Arthur could tell from the back of Merlin's head that his face was not in as much pain as well. He sighed in relief, never wanting to see his friend in any pain. Arthur hadn't had many close friends in his life. There was Morgana, but well, she was a girl, and their friendship was always one of competition, never comfort. It was hard for him to admit, but Merlin was the closest friend he'd ever had. He trusted him and even liked him. Yes, he liked him. Merlin was actually quite witty, never got offended by his chiding, and seemed to always have a sweet smile on his face, taking joy in the simple pleasures of life and friendship.

Lying there next to him, he did not feel uncomfortable like he might have with one of his knights, but it was actually kind of nice. At that thought, Arthur reached out and put his hand on Merlin's shoulder which was still within the warm comfort of their bed roll. He let his head fall forward until it rested against the back of Merlin's neck. Finally warm again, Arthur soon fell asleep.

It must have been a few minutes to dawn when Merlin awoke; the sky was a shade of pale blue. His front half was thoroughly chilled while his back was comfortable and warm. He turned around to even this out, and was startled to see Arthur, asleep within his bed roll - no their joined bed rolls - curled up against him. Merlin's heart fluttered. He had a hard time keeping his true feelings about the prince contained. Often times, he found himself staring at his friend, and it was a stare of longing. But it was confusing, these feelings he had weren't supposed to be for Arthur, but for a girl like Gwen or Morgana. Instead, every time he tried to look at one of them the way he looked at Arthur, there was nothing. No leap of his heart, no pounding in his ears, or a stirring in his groin. And all these things happened with Arthur, almost every time he saw him. There were some nights, when he was alone in his room at night, trying to fall asleep, and he tried to think of women's faces or breasts, but instead he thought of Arthur's lips, his eyes, his hair, his chest... and afterwards he felt shame. He felt as though he was taking advantage of their friendship, partaking in a secret lust that could never be, all while Arthur trusted him and let him into his life.

Merlin turned back around, determined that Arthur would not see his face when he awoke. He couldn't bear for him to see the look of longing that surely was on it. Being so close to him now, it was hard to restrain himself. Merlin wanted to touch Arthur's face, to kiss his lips. But that would be wrong he thought, so he pushed the feelings back down inside himself, and stared out at the forest.

About ten minutes later he could feel Arthur stirring, but instead of him getting up out of bed, Arthur moved himself closer to Merlin who had retreated away. He pressed himself tight against Merlin's back and let his arm drape over his side across Merlin's stomach. Arthur's breath was hot against the back of his neck and Merlin shuddered involuntarily. The lust he was feeling was becoming unbearable and Merlin was afraid he could not contain himself much longer. Just then, Arthur awoke and Merlin quickly shut his eyes. He raised his head and seeing where his hand was, quickly removed it and undid the tie on the bed roll.

Obviously flustered he said, "Up and at 'em Merlin, we have a long day today. And you still have breakfast to make."

They were both quieter than normal throughout the course of the day. Merlin assumed it was because he had embarrassed himself in front of Arthur, and Arthur didn't know why, but for some reason he felt strange towards Merlin, as though the perfectly reasonable act of joining bed rolls in the cold was actually improper and shameful. Realizing that his feelings were based in foolishness, he decided to confront them straight on. They were descending a path through a relatively open section of the forest and it was about 4 hours before sunset.

"Merlin, I hope you didn't mind but I woke up really cold last night so I joined our bed rolls so we wouldn't both freeze. " As he said the words, which he had intended to come out straightforward and with ease, he felt they sounded tense and fearful.

"Why would I mind? I'm glad I could umm help .. sire" Merlin was also feeling awkward, and immediately regretted his words.

"Good, I'm glad that's settled then." And with that, and with obvious purpose, Arthur increased their pace to signal the end of the conversation.

Evening came all too quick in the valley, the slopes of the surrounding mountains cutting off the sun's light earlier than the two friends were used to. Arthur was feeling frustrated, there hadn't been any sign of the beast that day, and he was worried they had lost the trail. At least the path had led them down into the valley where the temperature was warmer. They had even come to a quiet river where they had decided to stop and set up camp before the sun dipped completely behind the mountains.

Merlin was overjoyed at the sight of the running water, provided it wasn't too cold he might be able to finally wash the days of sweat and dirt off of his body and hair. As if to compound their luck, they had found a tree of wild apples, and had collected a generous amount to add to their dinner of leftover hare.

Arthur walked up to the river, standing slightly behind Merlin.

"Well, look at this, looks like you'll be able to wash my clothes... and yourself. You do know that you stink, right Merlin?"

"And your highness only smells of roses and soap."

"Well, I suppose I could use a bath as well. Alright, we'd better hurry, the river will get very cold once the sun dips below the mountains."

Merlin went over and felt the water with his hand, it wasn't warm but it wasn't as cold as he thought it would be. It was relatively shallow and there weren't many trees to shade its slow waters from the sun during the day.

"Not too bad" he exclaimed.

"Great, these are for you," said Arthur. And at that he stripped off his armor, shirt and pants, handed them to Merlin and started to approach the river.

Merlin sighed, and approached the water with the clothes. As he bent down, scrubbing the dirt out of the cloth, he watched Arthur out of the corner of his eye. As he approached the edge of the river, he stripped out of his undergarments, and slowly moved into the water. The sight of Arthur's naked body sent shivers down Merlin's spine. His muscles were clearly defined along his entire torso, but not bulging. He almost dropped the clothes into the water, but instead scrubbed them as fast as he could and placed them on a rock to dry. Arthur was scrubbing himself with a rough stone he had found and Merlin stared longingly at his chest and waist. Without even thinking, he started to disrobe himself. He was skinnier than Arthur, lankier, but he had built a reasonable amount of muscle through his hard work. His legs and arms, while tall and thin, were also firm and strong. He was becoming aware of an excitement building within his groin, and realized he would need the coldness of the water... quickly.

Merlin strode down to the water, as confidently as he could pretend, and moved rapidly into its steady stream. Arthur heard the splashing entrance, and turned to see Merlin.

"Done with the clothes already?" He said while turning back to his wash.

"Yes, good as fresh from the castle's hamper."

"Did you do yours as well? No good if I smell all pretty if the beast can smell you coming from miles away."

"I will, just wanted to bathe before it became too cold. "

"You know, actually, that isn't a half bad idea" Arthur said, while chucking the stone back into the river, "We can lure the beast towards us with the awful smell of your britches."

"You know, that might work, if your snoring wasn't driving away every living thing at night."

"What? I do *not* snore." Arthur said as he strode towards Merlin.

Merlin started to laugh, "Oh, yes you do. I'm honestly surprised you don't wake yourself up with the force of it."

"Why, you liar!" and with that Arthur swung his hands into the water, and splashed Merlin.

Laughing heartily, Merlin replied "I wish I were sire, but if you doubt me, just ask all of the valley, I'm sure it echoes across the whole of it!"

And with that Merlin splashed Arthur back and the two friends laughed at the much-needed break in the tension of the past few days. Merlin was flinging water wildly at Arthur, and Arthur laughing merrily, grabbed his arms in an effort to restrain him.

As they touched, their laughter subsided and each suddenly found themselves staring at the other, the whole world silent except for the gentle sound of water against their bodies. Arthur's hands slowly moved up Merlin's forearms, he didn't truly comprehend what he was doing, it was what felt natural. Suddenly, the tension was too much to bear, Arthur squeezed Merlin's upper arms, pulled him forward and looking once more at his eyes, kissed him. The kiss was forceful and passionate, as though it were made out of desperation. At first Merlin was too surprised to return the act, but then he opened his mouth and kissed Arthur back inviting him with his mouth to go further. Arthur's arms moved to Merlin's back, drawing him closer. Merlin moved his right hand up to Arthur's face, to stroke the hair he had always longed to touch. After what seemed like minutes, the kiss relented, and Arthur separated, breathing deeply, as though he only just now remembered how important it was. He looked into Merlin's face, and it was no longer that silly boy who was always at his side. He now saw a man, strong and serious. The realization of this stunned him, and he pushed Merlin away. Merlin stumbled backward and caught himself, while Arthur rushed out of the river. He quickly stepped back into his underwear, grabbed his now dry clothes off of the rock and vanished back into the forest, towards their camp.

Merlin stood for a long time in the river, trying to absorb what had just happened. It was what he had always fantasized about, but he had never been more afraid. What now? Could they pretend it hadn't happened? Did he want to? He moved out of the water, put on his underwear and started to wash his clothes, trying to quiet his mind with menial tasks. But he could still feel the kiss against his lips. It was more than he had thought it could be. The softness of Arthur's lips surprised him, the skill of his tongue against his. He wondered if Arthur had kissed many people before. He wondered if he had ever kissed anyone like that. So absorbed was Merlin in his thoughts that he didn't hear the sound of rustling leaves behind him. Quietly the beast stepped out of the woods. It almost had a smile on its face, if you could call it that. It was ten feet tall and twenty feet long, with a hide and head covered in coarse hair. It stood on four legs, its front two had sharp claws, glinting wet. It face was flat and warped, its eyes small black holes, while its mouth drooped open with the weight of itself. It could hardly close its mouth its teeth were so large, and a tongue lolled out the side, fiercely red. As it moved, its jaw shook with each step, causing it to appear as if it were always chewing, or trying to talk.

Merlin suddenly felt in shadow, and looked back just in time to avoid the swipe of a poisoned claw. He rolled out of the way and tried to get up to run, but stumbled against a sharp rock, falling towards the ground roughly. The beast loomed over him and he concentrated on a spell of powerful magic, "Lutus Aseso". His eyes glowed bright and a wave of energy shot out from an outstretched hand. The beast reeled backwards with the force of the blow and crashed against a tree. Merlin, relieved, began to stand up. To his horror, the beast stirred. It shook its awful head and righted itself, positioning to charge against Merlin.

Arthur heard the crash back towards the river. He gathered his sword and shield, not having time to don his armor, and quickly raced to the noise. When he arrived in the clearing by the river he saw Merlin, stumbling through some harsh brush trying to get away from the pursuing beast.

Without a thought towards himself, he bellowed loudly to get the beast's attention. It turned and its jaw swung crudely, its teeth presenting themselves to Arthur in all their full glory. Arthur raised his shield and not waiting for the beast to make a move, charged towards it. As he approached it, the beast swung its head to chomp down on the approaching warrior, but Arthur side-stepped out of danger and moved to its side, swinging his blade against its body. The blade dug in deeply, gashing the monster. However, this only seemed to anger it and it swung a claw at Arthur's unprotected side. Arthur quickly moved his shield to block the blow, but was still pushed backwards from the force of it. He tried to regain his stability but was knocked off his feet. Desperate he tried to get up but the beast was too fast and reared up above him, preparing to strike. At this moment, Merlin, watching from the side, concentrated on a tree branch above the beast and willed it to break. It hit the beast hard and because it was standing precariously on its back feet when it was hit, it stumbled sideways, falling against the stones. Arthur didn't lose any time questioning his good fortune. He rushed forward and swung hard at the prone animal. He buried his sword deep into the monster's neck. It howled in pain, struggled to get up, but with its blood flowing fast onto the ground, breathed its last breath, shuddered and collapsed. Merlin rushed over to Arthur, the warrior was hardly scathed and he smiled. Suddenly he remembered himself and his arms and legs began to sting. He looked down and realized his long underwear had torn through his rush through the brambles and his skin was badly scraped. Arthur, confirming that the beast was dead, removed his sword and wiped it on its hide. He then looked at his friend and noticed the slight hint of a wince, betraying the pain Merlin was in.

"Come, let's get you back to camp."

They walked back in silence, both emotionally and physically exhausted. Their quest was completed but something new and even more frightening had just begun.

Arthur led Merlin to a log by their fire pit and had him sit down. His legs and arms were scratched, and although it wasn't serious, Arthur knew that out in the wilderness, wounds would fester unless properly treated.

He retrieved a salve that Gaius had packed for them and handed it to Merlin. "Here, apply this to your wounds, it should help."

"Thanks Arthur."Merlin said, and rolled up the legs of his underwear, applying the salve to the cuts. It stung, but Merlin knew from Gaius' many lectures that the stinging was a sign it was working. After his legs were coated, he undid the buttons on the top, sliding the top part of his underwear down around his waist. Arthur was lighting a fire and noticed a series of scratches along Merlin's back that he couldn't reach.

"Here, give that to me Merlin."

Merlin handed the salve over and Arthur applied it to his back, taking care to remain gentle and trying not to linger too long on his warm skin.

"How does that feel?" Arthur said and Merlin replied in a soft tone, "Great." Remembering himself, he stammered, "I mean, better, yes, thank you."

Arthur, feeling unsure, closed the pack of salve and put it back in the pack, returning to the matter of the fire. Merlin gingerly pulled his underwear back over his chest, wincing at the feel of cloth against his tender skin. They ate the apples and hare in silent.

Merlin attempted to break the awkwardness. "Glad to be heading back tomorrow? "

"God yes" Arthur replied, "you may not guess it, but I *really* miss my bed."

Merlin smiled, "Yes, I almost thought you had gotten used to sleeping without five feather pillows."

Arthur smiled, and didn't return in insult, which surprised Merlin, but he was happy to at least have the silence broken. They talked about trivial things, the castle's stew, warm beds, old folk tales. It was pleasant in its simplicity.

The fire was warm, and the sky was clear that night. Merlin lay out his bed roll and thought briefly about offering to join his with Arthur's, but then dismissed the idea. After lying down, he stared into the fire, unable to fall asleep. After a while, he heard Arthur unpack his bed roll and lay down. He must have stared at the fire for half an hour, watching the embers whiten and cool in turn. But he could not fall asleep. Merlin's mind was racing with the day's event, especially those of the river. He tried to ignore it, to chalk it up to the moment, but he was elated at the thought that Arthur might share his feelings. He had never expected that. Arthur was so manly, so handsome. He was constantly flirting with the ladies that came to court, and women fawned over his charm and good looks. How was it then that a man with the options of Arthur could be like Merlin, so different. Maybe he wasn't, Merlin reasoned, it might have been a onetime thing. 'We will probably never speak of it again, let alone act on it.' This thought filled Merlin with sadness, but he felt duty bound to not push the matter with Arthur. He shouldn't lead Arthur down this path that was obviously so deviant to the norms of Camelot. He had never heard of anyone with lusts like him, and so it must not happen, or it must be suppressed if it does. Perhaps this was just another symptom of his supernatural gifts, one more thing to make him different and alone.

He heard Arthur shuffling in his bed roll and get up. Merlin looked over his shoulder and saw him lay down behind him. He looked at Arthur questioningly, but Arthur just touched his shoulder and pushed him back onto his side. Arthur then undid the ties on their bed rolls and joined them as he had done the previous night. Merlin's heart rose in his throat, and he hoped and wished for something to happen. Arthur slid up behind Merlin and said, "We must never speak of this."

Merlin melted at the sound of Arthur's voice against his ear and he turned his head back again, to look into his eyes. There was a fire in Arthur's blue eyes again, yet it was not from reflected flames but those coming from within. He moved his head closer to Merlin's and softly kissed him. As their lips touched, an electricity ran through both of them. Merlin turned completely over and gave himself fully to the moment, wrapping his arms Arthur and pulling him close, kissing him back. Their mouths quickly grew eager, wanting more. Hours passed until they finally fell back against each other, satiated.

Mer was looking at Arthur's face, he had a familiar smirk.

"Well," Merlin said.

"Well.." Arthur replied.

"We should go camping more often" Merlin said and he started to laugh.

"I really had no idea you were so fond of the wilderness, Merlin."

"I'm starting to find I have a taste for all sorts of new things.." Merlin smiled eagerly and Arthur stretched out his arm which Merlin cradled himself into.

Merlin soon fell asleep as Arthur gazed upwards, contentedly watching the stars move across the night sky, and thinking of the slowest route back to Camelot.


	2. Chapter 2 Shared Love

Chapter 2 – A love shared.

Arthur woke up to feel warmth on his face. Opening his eyes, he could see that the sun was already up, starting its ascent through the leaves of the trees above him. He had overslept. The rest of the party back at Lowell were probably starting to worry about their Prince, and his father at Camelot would be anxious to hear from him. Yet he couldn't bring himself to get up. Merlin lay next to him, resting his head on Arthur's arm. He had never felt before, what he had felt last night. He had heard of sex, knew its intimate details before, but he had to admit that every time he had tried to think of it, it didn't bring him excitement but... nerves. As a prince, he knew that one day he must marry, father children, continue his line, but he also knew that he didn't look at women the same way his fellow knights did. When they thought he couldn't hear, they would sometimes make bawdy comments about the fullness of a woman's breasts or behind. He would try to look at women with that same lust, but found himself overcompensating and unsure. And he wasn't used to feeling unsure. He knew that Morgana had tried to attract him, and often played off her good looks in an attempt to make him notice her, or even to win an argument. But when he had tried to picture having sex with her, or with any woman, it only left him feeling empty and anxious.

But last night, he allowed himself to see what he had been denying all along, that it wasn't a problem with him, but with the person he was fantasizing about. Of course, this didn't really solve anything. He would still have to marry, have children and do all the proper things, but at least he knew he could feel this way: passionate and lustful.

Arthur studied Merlin's face, the length of his chin, the odd size of his ears, all of it should have amounted to something strange and ungainly, but instead it was charming and sweet. He remembered the look on his face when they kissed, the seriousness that spread over it, and in that moment Merlin looked so handsome, it was surprising. He almost laughed, a cheeky grin on his face, thinking of how his opinion of Merlin had changed so drastically from when they first met. He then remembered the feel of Merlin's chest, his taut arms and legs. Merlin stirred in the morning air and Arthur leaned over and slowly kissed his neck. Without opening his eyes, Merlin leaned his own head, cradling Arthur's in the crook of his neck. Arthur continued to kiss around the side of his neck, and as he looked up at Merlin's face, he stuck out his tongue and licked his way up to his mouth. The two embraced, Arthur on top of Merlin passionately kissing him while Merlin pulled him closer.

"That was amazing."

"See? I'm not totally useless, now am I?" replied Merlin, smiling as they kissed.

"You know, I was starting to wonder. I mean, you can't cook, you can't clean, you certainly don't know how to muck out the stables, and you're pretty terrible with a sword..."

Merlin laughed, "Stop it!"

Arthur smiled and kissed Merlin's neck, "But these talents, well they certainly make up for all the rest."

Arthur smirked, "And now let's see if I've learned anything from the 'master'..."

Minutes passed as Arthur and Merlin made love again.

As Arthur lay back down beside Merlin, the two men looked at each other and smiled: content.

After a few minutes, Arthur's face grew serious. The sun had almost reached its zenith. He stood up and started to dress. Merlin did the same.

"That time is it?" Merlin said as he pulled on his pants.

"Well past, actually" replied Arthur.

"Well your father should be pleased..."

Arthur stopped and stared at Merlin in disbelief, "What?"

"Oh.. no.. I meant about the beast. That it's dead. No no no no, not about.. you know.. this." Merlin turned away, eyes wide with the clumsiness of his words and began picking up their stuff.

Arthur just shook his head and started putting on his armour.

They spent the next few hours in silence, hiking at a fast pace to make up for the lost time. Still staring straight ahead and scouting the path, Arthur said, "You know we can't tell anyone, right?"

"Yes, of course." Merlin sighed.

"Ok, we just need to be clear on that." Arthur then stopped and looked back at Merlin, "They wouldn't understand."

"You mean your father?"

Arthur continued to climb. "My father, the counsellors, the street vendors, the whole kingdom. We can't let anyone find out, Merlin. They'd throw us both in jail."

"Why? We haven't done anything wrong!" Merlin stammered.

Arthur stopped again and turned around. "Really Merlin, you can't be that naive. Sometimes I wonder if you've ever had to hide anything. It wouldn't matter if we'd done anything wrong, they'd put us away, or claim we were diseased, or the victims of sorcery. Whatever it is, we wouldn't want it. It won't be a pat on the shoulder and a hearty congratulation."

Merlin looked down and sighed again, frustrated.

"We'll have to keep this a secret, just between us. You mustn't tell anyone, not even Gaius."

Arthur continued to hike and Merlin mumbled, "Great, one more secret to keep. How wonderful..."

They ended their hike well past dark that night. Both too exhausted to prepare a proper meal, they simply ate leftover apples and promised themselves a hearty breakfast.

Bedding down for the night, Merlin unrolled the bed, still joined together from the previous night. They both undressed and got in, moving the covers up high to keep out the cold night air. Arthur moved a strand of hair away from Merlin's face and looked at him intently.

Merlin was still frustrated from their earlier conversation but couldn't resist the sultry look on Arthur's face. They kissed, and entwined their bodies. That night they made love slowly at first, as though they were unsure of their actions. They were timid with their movements, constantly asking permission of each other. It was strange, in light of the previous night's frantic events. This second night was somehow more serious, more permanent.

They woke at dawn's light the next day, packed, and ate a filling breakfast of pheasant that Arthur had caught. If they moved quickly that day, they would be out of the valley by nightfall. Each step closer was one towards home, and each step filled Merlin with dread.

Arthur noticed Merlin's lingering pace.

"Come on Merlin, let's try to get there before winter." But when he didn't see any sense of smile on Merlin's face, Arthur wrinkled his brow and stopped.

"Ok, what's the matter?"

Merlin paused, afraid to ask a question whose answer he might not want to hear. "What will we do back in Camelot?" he asked while looking at the ground.

"Oh, well, I suppose we'll have to be very careful."

"Do you mean," Merlin replied, trying to choose his words carefully, "we'll have to be careful about not letting people find out what *has* happened? Or ... what is happening...now... I mean... then... in the future... when we're being careful." Merlin shook his head in frustration with himself and his clumsiness.

"Merlin..."

"Yes?" Merlin replied, looking upwards.

"Shut up."

Arthur put his pack down and approached Merlin, looking him square in the face he kissed him passionately. Arthur's hand was on the back of Merlin's head; his lips parted and moved as his tongue entwined Merlin's.

He stepped away and retrieved his pack, "Does that answer your question?"

"Um yes," Merlin replied, trying to regain some semblance of his composure, "quite clear."

"Good," Arthur said as he continued walking down the path, "I never like having to explain myself with drawn out conversation."

Merlin raced, trying to catch up, "I always do appreciate our shorter chats." He said, grinning ear-to-ear.

They reached Lowell by late afternoon the next day. The men they had sent there were waiting at the entrance, worried about their Prince, and overjoyed at his return. They were even gladder to hear that the beast had been slain, and the villagers of Lowell all crowded around Arthur, thanking him and shaking his hand. Merlin stepped back, observing the scene with a quiet smile. Arthur was very attentive with each person who talked to him, and gave his thanks graciously to the town's elders who offered him a feast in his honour that night.

After the people had dispersed, Arthur walked up to Merlin,

"Well, it looks like we'll have a proper meal tonight!"

"And a bed to boot." Merlin replied, grabbing his back in fake exaggerated pain.

"Oh come now, our previous sleeping arrangements weren't that bad." Arthur grinned.

"Yes you're right, they weren't so horrible. Besides, I don't think I injured my back sleeping anyways..."

Arthur laughed and slapped Merlin on the back, almost pushing him over, and then walked towards the inn.

"Oof," Merlin groaned, while catching up, "now that's not going to help."

At the inn, Arthur was given the nicest room they had. It was pleasant enough, but of course nothing could equal the grandeur of the castle. Back in the company of his knights, Arthur resumed the pretence of his previous behaviour, getting Merlin to carry his pack to the room and ordering him to prepare a hot bath. After Merlin prepared the bath, grandly located in an adjoining suite to Arthur's room, he went down to fetch the young Prince.

"Your bath is ready, sire."

Arthur excused himself from the knights and followed Merlin upstairs to the bathroom. When alone inside the room, Merlin made to excuse himself when Arthur said, "Where are you going?"

Merlin looked confused at Arthur, offering him a sideways glance.

"You're still my servant right," and Arthur held out his arms, "well, help me remove my armour."

"Oh, of course ... sire." Merlin replied, not sure if this was part of the routine anymore.

'This is bound to get confusing' he thought.

He carefully removed Arthur's armour, setting it down on a bench.

"And now my clothes, Merlin. Really, do I have to constantly tell you how to do your job?"

Merlin approached Arthur, trying to suppress a smile. He undid Arthur's shirt, pulling it over his head, and then knelt on his knees to unbutton his pants, pulling them down. He really was exquisitely gorgeous: the shape of his torso, the strength of his muscles, his flat stomach and beautifully toned Arthur was fully undressed, he turned to get into the bath.

"Good, I was afraid that by the time you finished, the water would be ice cold."

Merlin could only smile at the game.

As Arthur lowered himself in, Merlin asked, "Will that be all, sire?"

"No, of course not, you must wash me."

Merlin approached the bath, his smile turning to a wide grin.

"And don't be afraid to scrub hard," Arthur said in a lower voice.

No one could say that Merlin was not diligent in his task. He scrubbed every inch of Arthur's body, going over a couple areas more than once to be sure. Arthur finished the bath squeaky clean, and thoroughly satisfied with Merlin's efforts.

The feast that night was large and joyous. The town had prepared some succulent pig and had passed out enough mead to bring a rosy cheer to everyone's faces. As everyone sat in their chairs, talking and content with their full bellies, a bell rang and all looked to see one of the elders, Gerhardt, stand up with a mug in his hand.

The dining hall quieted and Gerhardt spoke, "First of all, let me apologize for interrupting the feast, but an old timer like me can't let an eve such as this pass without saying a few words."

"Only a few? Good, let's eat!" someone yelled out, and a few chuckles were heard.

"Hah, alright, alright. I'll get it over with quickly, promise." And Gerhardt turned to Arthur, "Prince Arthur, the town of Lowell wishes to thank you not only for your recent heroism in keeping our town safe, but also for gracing our humble hall with your presence at this feast."

"Hear, hear" a few people shouted.

"Anything we have, and that you desire, shall be yours, and we hope you will always remember the townspeople of Lowell as your faithful servants. Lastly, we give thanks to the King for lending us his brave son for our protection and an evening of tales and merry. Long live the King!"

"Long live the king." All echoed, solemnly. And with that, a hearty drink was had by all.

Arthur then spoke, "People of Lowell, I am humbled by your words and the delicious feast you have prepared tonight. Truly, you are all a fine example of what makes the kingdom of Camelot so honest and good." He then paused for a few seconds, raised his mug and said, "and really great mead too!" The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter, and a few more drinks were had all around.

Merlin managed to carry Arthur up to his room, before passing out himself, his head at the foot of the bed, snoring soundly.

So deep were they in their sleep that neither of them awoke to the sound of footsteps in the room. A lone figure approached the bed and silently opened a bottle filled with shimmering purple liquid. Gloved hands spread a few drops of its liquid over Arthur's mouth and eyelids. With that, the figure moved to the door and left.

Merlin woke well past dawn, but the inn was still completely silent, all the residents sleeping off a night of heavy drinking. His head pounded, as the dryness of his mouth propelled him to the nearby water jug. After satiating his thirst, Merlin turned back towards the bed and looked at the scene with more than a little humour. Arthur was flopped on the bed, one boot still on, with his shirt gathered around his face, keeping out the light from the nearby window. Merlin walked over and pulled the shirt from his face.

"Come on Arthur, rise and shine," he tried to say with enthusiasm, but it instead came out raspy and restrained from his own aching body. Arthur just groaned and buried his face in the bed, swatting at Merlin with a blind hand. Merlin laughed at the ridiculous sight, and then groaned himself, feeling the effects of the night before right behind his temples.

He sat back down on the bed beside Arthur and flopped over on his back.

"Arthur, we really need to get up. The room needs to be packed, the horses saddled, breakfast ..." Merlin grabbed his churning stomach, "breakfast needs to be eaten."

Arthur poked his head out and said, "Those all sound like things *you* need to do." Returning to his previous position he added, "Just let me sleep and wake me when the horse is ready to mount."

Slowly and painfully, Merlin rose again and started to tidy the room. He picked up their clothes from the floor and then a wicked grin spread over his face. Opening the bureau, he removed their coats and then shut it again, forcibly. He then moved over to the dislodged table and pushed it aside, back to its original location, as it groaned against the floor. He opened the heavy wooden chest, where they had stored their weapons, removed them, and then let it slam shut.

Arthur sat up, stared angrily at Merlin, and said, "What could you *possibly* be doing that could warrant such a racket!"

"Oh, just tidying." Merlin replied.

Arthur picked up a pillow and hurled it at his friend, "Well tidy somewhere else!"

Merlin started to giggle, and picked up the pillow, "You mean, like the bed? Should I arrange the pillows?" and with that he threw the pillow back at Arthur.

Arthur, aghast, but still groggy, yelled "Get out of this room and let me sleep! You meddling," a pillow flew at Merlin, "incompetent," another pillow, "DOLLOP HEAD!"

Merlin burst out laughing, "Dollop head? Really? I don't think that's a real thing, Arthur." And with that he quickly exited the room, only to hear the last pillow hit the closing door.

Downstairs, some patrons were quietly eating their breakfast, obviously trying to keep any headache inducing noise to a minimum. As Merlin entered the room, a few heads looked up at him, frustrated and questioning.

"Sorry," Merlin softly said, "the prince is a little grumpy in the mornings."

There were a few murmured groans, but most just returned to their porridge. Merlin slid onto a bench and was served a large steaming bowl himself. As he ate, the inn door swung open and in walked Gerhardt.

"Oh hello Merlin," Gerhardt boomed as Merlin stood to greet him, "Is Prince Arthur up? My family and I wanted to say goodbye to him before he left for Camelot."

Merlin smiled, happy to see the charismatic elder with the rosy cheeks and generous belly, "He shouldn't be too much longer. I'll go inform him that you're waiting."

Luckily, when Merlin returned upstairs, Arthur had dressed and was ready to go, despite leaving all of his things on the floor for Merlin to pack. While leaving the inn, Gerhardt greeted them.

"Hello Prince Arthur, truly am I sad to see you go. Our town is overjoyed to have had you with us." Gerhardt said while shaking Arthur's hand, "May I introduce my family to you before you leave."

"Of course, I'd be happy to meet them." Arthur replied, and Gerhardt then led them to a group of people gathered a few paces away. Waiting there was Gerhardt's wife, his young son, and daughter. They were all introduced, but when Gerhardt made his daughter's introduction, he paused and looked fondly at both her and Arthur.

"And now I must introduce you to Dalia, my jewel and daughter."

The girl was probably just shy of 18, with dark brown hair, an elegantly long face and full pink lips. She smiled at Arthur and coyly handed him her hand.

"Your highness." She said while curtseying.

Arthur paused, held her hand for a few seconds, before leaning down and kissing her slender fingers.

"A pleasure." He said while returning her smile.

Merlin watched with confusion at the obvious flirting between the two. Dalia was apparently recounting a humorous tale and both her father and Arthur laughed heartily at what she had said. As Arthur turned to head back towards Merlin and the horses, he glanced back at Dalia, smiling brightly.

When Arthur passed him by, Merlin uttered, "Nice family?"

"Yes, the folks here really are lovely, aren't they?"

Merlin gave the back of Arthur's head a suspicious look and then brought him his horse. Arthur just stood there, hands on his waist, looking at Merlin.

"Well?" Arthur said.

"Well..?" Merlin replied, cocking his head and raising his shoulders with confusion.

"Get down and help me onto the horse!" Arthur demanded.

Merlin gave him a look, as if to doubt his seriousness, but when Arthur just continued to stare with his arms crossed, Merlin knelt down on his hands and knees while Arthur used him as a stepping stool.

Merlin stood up, brushing the dirt from his pants, and lifted himself up onto his horse's saddle.

As they were leaving, Arthur waved to the crowd and winked, and Merlin thought it might have been aimed specifically at Dalia. Merlin turned back as well, and took a long look at the girl that had so immediately captured Arthur's attention. She was pretty, but so were many other girls, and her jokes couldn't have been *that* funny. He shook his head with his own insecurity and foolishness, and rode off after the knights.

They rode hard that day, arriving at Camelot in the dead of night. The guards greeted them and opened the citadel's gates. Arthur said goodnight to the men, dismounted and stalked inside, obviously heading straight to his bed chambers. Merlin stabled the horses, and did similarly, exhaustedly heading for his comforting bed at his and Gaius' home.

Early the next morning, a knock came at his bedroom door and Gaius walked in.

"So, it was you! I thought I heard someone come in last night. How was it?"

Merlin sleepily wiped his eyes and sat up in bed. "Great! We slew the beast, feasted with the villagers, and stole the hearts of fair maidens. Pretty successful trip, all told."

Gaius chuckled, "Well I'm glad you're back safe. But you should be getting up; Arthur will be expecting you very soon."

Smiling at Gaius' familiar scolding, Merlin rose and headed to Arthur's room. He was, of course, still in bed, Merlin assumed. But after opening the door, Merlin saw Arthur standing at his table, sorting through some papers.

"You're up!" Merlin proclaimed.

"And you're your usual observant self, I see." Arthur replied dryly.

Merlin started tidying the room, and making the bed.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" he said whilst pulling the sheets tight.

"Well, I have a rather important announcement to make to my father, don't you think?"

"Oh yes, he'll be glad to hear about your gallant battles with the beast." Merlin replied.

"Yes..." Arthur paused, "that too I suppose."

"There's something else?" Merlin asked.

And Arthur's reply froze Merlin in his tracks, "Don't you think I should tell him about my love?"

Merlin looked up, "I didn't think anyone else was to know..."

"It can hardly be a secret Merlin, I thought the attraction was obvious to everyone around us."

"Oh, I didn't notice..." Merlin started, "Are you sure this is wise? Do you think your father will approve?"

"Who cares? I'm in love!" Arthur proclaimed.

Merlin felt his heart lift with joy, never thinking to hear such bold words from Arthur. He moved up to him, put his arms around Arthur and hugged him tight.

Arthur laughed, "Alright, that's enough Merlin. You're a sap, you know that?" Pushing Merlin away he said, "You're lucky I'm in such a good mood."

Arthur moved to the door as Merlin said, a wide grin from ear-to-ear, "Where are you going?"

"To proclaim my love, of course!" and with that, Arthur left the room.

Merlin rushed to follow, but then thought against it. 'Perhaps it would be better if I was not in the room when Arthur tells his father', he reasoned. After all, he was worried that Uther would not only reject Arthur's decision, but be absolutely furious. It might be better if it were just father and son.

Merlin paced the room, picking up clothes and putting them away absentmindedly. He was a ball of nerves, and every possible conversation between Uther and Arthur was playing out in his mind. Maybe he would be happy that his son had found love, but the only reality Merlin could truly imagine happening was one where Uther banished Merlin from Camelot or worse, sent him to the dungeon for corrupting his son. Suddenly terribly worried, he rushed from Arthur's room to the throne room.

As he approached down the hall, he could hear Uther shouting, "Absolutely not. We have a kingdom to think about, not just your feelings."

The door was open and Uther and Arthur weren't alone, Morgana and Gwen were there, along with several members of the council. Merlin snuck in sheepishly, sure that all eyes must now be watching and judging him.

Arthur was standing before his father who was sitting in the throne, his head in his hands. "Remember what I once told you? That it is better for me to rule with someone that I love by my side. This will make me a happier person, and therefore a better future King."

Uther looked up and stared at Arthur, his face softening at the sincerity in his son's voice. "Yes, I remember. But Arthur, you are supposed to marry someone of status, not a commoner."

Arthur smiled at that saying, "And what could possibly bring more strength to a kingdom than to know that its King cherishes his people enough to bring them into his family."

Merlin looked hopefully at Uther. This was playing out very differently than it had in his head. Uther was actually considering Arthur's words, perhaps he had misjudged the radical nature of what Arthur and he had done.

A smile crept over Uther's face and he approached his son, bring his hands up to his shoulders. "I suppose then, that you have thought of this very carefully."

"I've thought of nothing else." Arthur replied.

"Well then, I can do nothing else but give you my blessing." And Uther hugged his son, whispering something in his ear and kissing him on the top of his head. There was an audible sigh of relief throughout the room as the tension lifted and people started muttering excitedly.

Merlin was frozen with happiness, and he beamed at Arthur, overjoyed with his touching words.

Uther then turned towards the room, "Well, we must send word, and of course invite the family to court!"

"Yes," Arthur continued, "I will have a messenger leave immediately to invite Dalia and her family to Camelot. "

Merlin's heart missed a few beats. Dalia! The girl from Lowell, but Arthur hardly even talked to her! And what of them and what they'd shared? He ran from the room, hardly missed in the clamour of well-wishes and cheers that were going on. He ran around the corner and hugged himself tight against the wall. His breathing came in laboured gasps and tears started to rim his eyes. His head could not explain what just happened and his heart couldn't take the betrayal. His thoughts kept on returning to those few moments he had seen Arthur and Dalia interact, the flirting, the laughter. Could love really bloom that fast? And could Arthur ignore what had transpired between them in the woods?

Footsteps were approaching down the hall and Merlin wiped his face with his sleeve. It was Gwen, who smiled at seeing her friend.

"Exciting news, huh?"

Merlin turned his head, hoping she wouldn't catch the redness in his eyes, "Yah, I can hardly believe it."

"Well what's she like, Dalia? Probably beautiful, but what else?" Gwen asked.

Merlin turned to face Gwen, forcing a smile onto his face, "I couldn't say, I hardly talked with her, but yes, she's very pretty."

"Well I guess we'll find out soon," Gwen continued, "if she's to be Arthur's wife and all."

Merlin excused himself and walked away, not stopping until he was back in his room. He buried his face in his bed and started to sob, unable to control himself anymore. He again replayed the interaction between Arthur and Dalia, and finding nothing new upon closer inspection, his mind started to wander down darker paths. Perhaps Arthur was so ashamed of what they had done that he grabbed onto the first attractive female he could find. But how could he do that? So coldly betray not only him, but his own feelings. They *had* shared something more profound than just lust out there in the forest, and Merlin couldn't believe that Arthur had so quickly forgotten it. The evidence was against Merlin though, Arthur was going to marry Dalia, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

The next few days passed dismally for Merlin. He went about his chores, ignoring Arthur whenever he could and answering him in short and polite phrases when he couldn't. Arthur hardly seemed to notice, he was so caught up in the thought of Dalia coming to Camelot.

Despite his anger, Merlin still ached for Arthur. One morning he came into Arthur's room to see him finishing up his bath, a towel casually draped over his shoulder with nothing else accompanying it. Merlin had to stop himself from staring as Arthur moved to dress himself, apparently thinking nothing of his actions. The water still shone on Arthur's body, his torso gleamed with wetness, and Merlin felt himself grow hard as his eyes wandered downwards. The moment passed and Merlin shook himself out of his fantasy. He quickly turned towards the opposite end of the room to do some unnecessary, but thankfully distracting, chores.

On the fourth day, the bride-to-be arrived with her father Gerhardt, and his wife, Silia. A small crowd had gathered to see the woman's arrival and there was much murmuring as Arthur presented Dalia with a single red rose as she descended the carriage. Taking Arthur's offered hand, Dalia smiled brightly at him and followed him into the castle. Her mother and father followed, holding their heads high and proud.

Merlin waited inside and smiled at Gerhardt, who had been so friendly back in Lowell. Strangely, Gerhardt did not acknowledge Merlin, and continued walking as if they hadn't met. Inside the throne room, Arthur proudly led Dalia up to his father, "Father, may I introduce you to Dalia of Lowell."

Uther took Dali's hand in his and kissed it, "Truly, a pleasure." She curtsied very politely and returned his smile. After that, Gerhardt and Silia stood before Uther, bowing appropriately low.

"And may I introduce you to her father, Gerhardt."

"Come now," Uther said, signalling them to rise, "there is no need for such formality between two families about to be joined."

Gerhardt grinned and rose, "You do me great honour, sire."

There were more friendly words and laughter was had by all, but Merlin had excused himself, returning to his chores about the castle. It was hard enough to watch Arthur and Dalia together, let alone to see his father so eagerly accept her. He tried to push these thoughts away, telling himself to forget about what had happened, as Arthur had done. It was increasingly hard to do over the next few days. He still felt so raw and exposed, and Arthur's every action of love towards Dalia only re-opened the wound. The two families ate dinner together every night, and Merlin just watched as Arthur and Dalia stared longingly at each other, hardly touching their food.

Merlin was preparing Arthur's clothes for the next day as he entered, swooning and happy.

"Oh Merlin, you're here! I felt as though you've all but vanished over the last few days."

"I guess you thought your bed just magically made itself each day then." Merlin deadpanned.

"Hah, but seriously, I have been in a dream. It's so fantastic, I've never felt like this before." Arthur flopped onto his bed. "I feel as though I could write poetry!"

Merlin just laughed, although a tad bitterly.

"I know! Me! Poetry! But it's true, she brings it out of me."

Merlin continued to lay out Arthur's armour.

"Well, now that you're here, I have a list of things that need doing. I need my red shirt cleaned for tomorrow, and my ceremonial sword needs to be polished. My jacket needs a seem stitched. Oh and can you clean my boots, and pick a dozen, no three dozen wild flowers. I want to deliver them fresh to my lady in the morning."

Merlin grumbled, "Sire, you realize that will take me half the night."

"Well, Merlin, if I had seen you before now I would have been able to tell you sooner. So really, whose fault is this?"

Merlin grumbled again and left the room, taking the mentioned items with him in a big pile.

It must have been two in the morning by the time Merlin finished with his tasks. His eyelids drooped with exhaustion and he let out a heavy yawn as he lumbered up the stairs, carrying a large bouquet of wildflowers to Arthur's room. As he approached the door, he saw that it was slightly ajar with a faint light streaming from within.

Merlin quietly moved to the entrance and looked inside. A figure was standing over Arthur, and he had a bottle in his hands. As he peered closer he could see the person reach down and place something on Arthur's face. Merlin backed up around the corner as he saw the figure turn to leave the room. Glancing around the edge of the wall, he saw Gerhardt leave Arthur's room. Merlin followed him, while making sure to stay well out of sight. He went straight back to his room, looked around suspiciously, and went inside. There was the faint sound of talking coming from inside so Merlin pressed his ear up against the door.

"Is it done?" a female voice said.

"Yes, I followed the witch's instructions to the letter. " Gerhardt replied.

"Good, well then come to bed and blow out the candle. If all goes as planned, we'll have a very busy day tomorrow."

"True. A father is never prouder than on the day of his daughter's wedding."

Merlin saw the light dim from inside the room and crept back to the adjoining hallway where he leaned his head against the cold stone wall, taking in all that had just happened. Arthur hadn't told him that the wedding was so soon, usually these ceremonies take weeks of planning. This all seemed very suspicious, and a witch's instructions were not usually a benign occurrence. Then it struck him. A love potion! Yes, of course, why hadn't he thought of it before! 'Fool me once...' Merlin thought. Well, this was proving to be quite simple. All that would be required is a kiss from someone that loves Arthur. After all, this had happened before. The last time this had happened, Merlin was almost a nervous wreck, but he finally managed the guts to kiss Arthur on the cheek just before his big match to win the right to marry his 'love'. Although Arthur didn't remember Merlin's kiss, he soon snapped out of his delusion.

Even though his prince was still under the spell of malevolent sorcery and the culprits were honoured guests of the King, Merlin was elated. He knew that Arthur couldn't have forgotten about him so quickly. It was magic, it had to be.

Excitedly, he went back to Arthur's room, and leaving the wildflowers on the table went over to where Arthur was sleeping. There was a soft moonlight streaming in the window, and Arthur was sleeping peacefully. His face was highlighted, drawing attention to the soft fullness of his lips and the golden locks of his hair. Slowly and carefully, Merlin bent over, leaning his face over that of the sleeping Prince. Merlin kissed Arthur gently on the lips, savouring the familiar smell of his skin.

He stood back up and looked at Arthur, a smile on his face. All would be well in the morning, the spell would be broken and Arthur would undo his engagement to Dalia. Quietly, he left the room and gladly went to bed.

Merlin rose early the next morning and went to Arthur's room, his heart in his throat, pounding mercilessly. "Up and at em" he said cheerfully, while drawing open the blinds. Arthur shielded his eyes from the bright light and sat up in bed.

"Morning Merlin." He said cheerfully.

"Morning, Sire! You seem to be in a good mood, today." Merlin said hopefully, "Any... revelations or remembrances?"

Arthur shook his head and looked with surprise at Merlin. "Sometimes, Merlin, I think you know more than you let on."

"Oh?" Merlin grinned.

"Yes, this morning, I don't know what it is, but I feel invigorated, driven with purpose." Arthur got up and started to dress as Merlin made his bed. "It really can't wait any longer?"

"What can't?" Merlin asked.

"The wedding! It must happen, today!"

Merlin just stared blankly, as Arthur walked over and slapped him on the shoulder. "I mean, why wait, right? I must go and tell my father immediately."

As Arthur left the room, Merlin slumped down in the nearest chair. What had gone wrong? His kiss should have broken the love spell. Perhaps he had imagined things, maybe his feelings toward Arthur had clouded his judgement, making him imagine conspiracies where none exist. But, he had seen Gerhardt in Merlin's room last night, and there had been something sinister going on. After all, what was in that liquid that he had put on Arthur's face?

There was no time to waste; he had to find out what was making Arthur act so rashly. He could wallow in self-pity, or he could save Arthur from tricks and plots, as he had done countless times before. Merlin picked up a laundry basket and went to Gerhardt's room, knocking on the door. There was no answer. As he had expected, they were all having breakfast together in the dining hall. Merlin slipped inside, making sure no one saw his entrance. The room was clean and sparse, and Merlin wondered where Gerhardt had stored the potion. He immediately began searching through the wardrobe and chest of drawers, but with no luck. Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin spotted a case on the end of the desk. Examining it, he found it was locked. Merlin placed his hand over the lock, reached into his repertoire of his spells, and uttered, "Selesta Ingeloa Shay". His eyes glowed a brief golden, and the lock burst open, revealing the case's contents. There, carefully wrapped was a vial of purple liquid. He pocketed the vial, closed the case, and relocked it with another incantation.

Knowing he was acting with a fast approaching deadline, he headed straight to Gaius in his physician's lab.

Gaius was working over a bench, swilling some unknown liquid in a test tube. Merlin placed the vial of purple liquid onto his bench.

"What's this?" Gaius asked.

"Exactly," said Merlin "I thought it was a love potion, but that can't be right."

Gaius put down his work and looked with concern at Merlin, "What did you do...You know you can't be messing with potions. What have I told you, time and again, about using sorcery so casually?"

"No, Gaius," Merlin stammered, "It's Arthur, he's been enchanted!"

"What? How did this happen? Are you sure?"

"Yes, extremely sure." Merlin said while giving Gaius a worried look, "I saw Gerhardt use this liquid on Arthur, in the dead of night... while he was sleeping."

Gaius picked up the vial and looked at it under the light of a candle.

"It's the only thing that can explain Arthur's behaviour anyways," Merlin continued, "how he's fallen so quickly in love with Dalia. Forgetting everything else but her."

Gaius took some of the liquid and transferred it to a test tube, "Well, he is a young man, Merlin. Stranger things have been known to happen. But you're right, this liquid is magical in origin."

"Can you create an anti-dote?" Merlin asked hopefully.

"I first have to figure out what it is. This will take time Merlin. And I fear that if you're correct, that is the one thing we do not have."

They began their work with all haste. Gaius went about detecting each ingredient in the potion while Merlin poured over texts searching for any potions that could have its effect. It was late in the afternoon when Gaius discovered the last ingredient.

"Aha!" Merlin said, and he brought a book over to Gaius. "This is it, then."

"Oh my," Gaius muttered, "this is potent magic, indeed. A love transfer potion. Very complicated."

"What does that mean?" Merlin asked.

"Well, instead of creating love where there is none, as with a typical love potion, this sorcery draws its strength from existing love. It moves the feelings of love from one person to another. It's a very powerful spell due to its inherent emotional bond with the victim."

"It says the antidote is a mixture of toadmud, kingswort, birch ash, and calendula." Merlin said, wasting no time, "Can you make this?"

"Yes, but I don't know if it will be in time." Gaius added with a concerned look, "The wedding is due to take place within the hour."

Merlin sighed, and nodded, "Leave that to me. I'll try to stall the wedding..."

"And how are you ever going to do that?" Gaius asked.

"Oh, I'll think of something!" Merlin shouted, already beyond the door and running towards Arthur's room.

'A love transfer potion!' Merlin thought, 'Of course!' That explained how Arthur had so easily forgotten about what he and Merlin shared, those feelings weren't gone... just misplaced! And while Merlin felt robbed and wronged, he also couldn't help feeling a little joy. All of the love sick poetry, the longing, the staring, it wasn't for Dalia, but for him!

Merlin burst into Arthur's room. Arthur was standing in front of a mirror, holding a white silk shirt up in front of his chest.

"Ah Merlin," he said, while turning to face him, "What do you think? Too much? .. Yes, you're right. It's too much."

Merlin just rushed over to Arthur and took the shirt from his hands.

"Hey!" Arthur said.

"Listen to me very closely." Merlin said while leaning in close, "you've been enchanted."

"What?" Arthur said, screwing his face up.

"Gerhardt is enchanting you, with a potion. To love his daughter!"

"Ridiculous. First of all, I think *I* would know if I were enchanted." Arthur said while retrieving another shirt from the closet, "And second of all, I'm already in love with his daughter, what would be the point?"

Merlin brought his hand to his forehead, "I should have known this would happen. If you're enchanted, there's no way for you to know it, you're just going to justify how you're acting... no matter how strangely. "

Arthur turned to face Merlin, "What *are* you yammering about?" He went up to Merlin and put his hands on his shoulders, "I know this may be hard for you to understand, but this is what people do when they're in love. Your concern is touching, but I am *not* enchanted. Now fetch me my green shirt."

Arthur moved back towards the mirror and Merlin raised his hand, concentrated and whispered, "Swefe nu!" Arthur took one more step and fell over flat on the bed, sound asleep.

Merlin sighed, and approached Arthur and pulled him to his feet. Arthur's head lolled to the side and he almost slipped from Merlin's arms. Catching him and adjusting his grasp, Merlin groaned, "Oof, we're putting you on a diet after this." Just then, Merlin heard the sound of approaching footsteps and his eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for a good hiding place.

He saw the wardrobe and commanded the doors to open, "Tospringe!" Propping Arthur inside the opened doors, he tried as best as he could to fit his limbs in the enclosed space. The footsteps were at the door, so Merlin pushed on the wardrobe doors with all his strength and whispered, "Behaepse faest", locking the doors in place. As the door to the room started to open, Merlin quickly turned and picked up the shirt flung on the bed.

It was Uther.

"Have you seen my son?" he asked, obviously short of temper.

"Uh, no. I was just preparing his outfit." Merlin said, while gathering strewn pieces of clothing from the floor.

Uther looked at him curiously and said, "Well find him and tell him to meet me in the hall. The ceremony is due to start." With that, Uther left the room to continue his search.

Merlin exhaled with relief and sat on the bed. What was he to do? The wedding was effectively delayed due to Arthur's incapacitation, but he couldn't keep him in the closet forever. Gaius had better be able to make the antidote. And it had better work.

Merlin made sure the wardrobe doors were indeed secured and then left to find out about Gaius' progress. On his way, he practically ran into Morgana in the hall.

"Merlin!" She exclaimed, "Have you seen Arthur? We're all looking for him. Dalia is positively distraught."

"Uhh, no, I've been looking too." Merlin lied, "I was just in his room and couldn't find him there, so I'm heading to the practice yard to see if he's simply lost track of time."

"Curious," Morgana replied, "that he would go missing so close to the wedding time. You don't think he got cold feet, do you?"

"Arthur? Cold feet? No, he's probably just off you know... picking flowers or composing poetry." Merlin stammered.

"Yes, you're probably right." Morgana smiled sweetly, "After all, he's so in love with Dalia. I doubt anything could keep the two apart for long." And with a sly look she added, "Or anyone."

Merlin scrunched up his forehead in confusion and continued on his way as Morgana walked past. She grinned wickedly when he could no longer see.

Merlin entered his and Gaius' home, and Gaius exclaimed, "Merlin! Good! Just in time."

"Is it ready?" Merlin asked eagerly.

"Yes, I think so." Gaius answered cautiously.

"What do you mean? You're not sure?"

"Well, I've never made a remedy of this complexity before. And I had to do it a short amount of time. But anyways, it should work... if I did everything correctly."

Merlin took a hold of the vial of green liquid that Gaius offered him.

"I trust you, Gaius. I'm sure it will work." Merlin said, smiling at his close friend.

"Yes, well, I'm afraid we'll need more than your confidence. We not only have to get Arthur to ingest this, but the object of the spell as well."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the lady Dalia must drink some too. Or it won't work."

Merlin stopped and thought for a second, trying to figure out a way to get Dalia to drink some of the potion.

"Wish me luck!" Merlin said, running off.

"I'm afraid you'll need it." Gaius replied quietly.

Merlin approached Dalia's room. She was in there with Gwen, who was comforting her over Arthur's disappearance.

"I'm sure he'll return shortly, my lady." She said while straightening some pins in her hair.

Dalia was just staring into the mirror, an empty but sad look on her face. And then it hit Merlin, she was innocent in all of this, and perhaps had legitimately fallen for Arthur. Merlin also felt terribly sad at that moment, knowing that he must get in the way of this sweet girl's happiness. But, it was a lie, and it couldn't persist. He walked into the room with purpose.

"Yes?" Dalia said, as both she and Gwen turned to greet him.

"Gaius has sent me with an elixir for you."

"What for?"

"For..." Merlin paused, searching, "for your nerves, lady. Arthur will return soon, we have heard word, and you have been through such a shock, that he thought you might need some calming down before the ceremony."

"Really?" Dalia beamed, "You've heard from Arthur? Where was he?"

"Out in the woods, he lost track of time." Merlin bowed his head, "He begs your forgiveness, my lady."

"Of course! And yes, I must compose myself. You must thank Gaius for me."

Merlin handed over the vial and said, remembering Gaius' instructions, "Just a few drops, that should be enough." He said solemnly.

Dalia smiled brightly, and took a small sip from the vial, handing it back to Merlin. She stood up and moved over to Merlin, taking his hand in hers. "Thank you, Merlin. I know how you care for the prince, and you have made me so happy today."

Merlin sheepishly excused himself, bowing slightly. He ran towards Arthur's room, hoping that he was still where he left him.

Checking that no one was around, Merlin crept inside the room and closed the door behind him. He walked over to the closet doors and opened them wide, Arthur tumbling out on top of him. Both crashed to the floor and Merlin groaned in pain, having broken Arthur's fall.

"Diet, seriously." Merlin muttered.

He moved Arthur off of him, so he was lying flat on his back. Merlin knelt over him and took out the vial. He parted Arthur's lips and shook a few drops of liquid into his mouth. Arthur sputtered and coughed, and a faint purple glow seemed to lift from his body.

Back in Dalia's room, she also began coughing, and Gwen watched in shock as a similar purple glow left her. Gwen rushed to grab Dalia, helping her back to a chair.

Merlin looked intently at Arthur, kneeling beside him, his hand on Arthur's cheek. Slowly, Arthur opened his eyes. Their blueness sparkled against the candle light in the room. Arthur's whole face smiled, seeing Merlin above him.

"Hi." He said, still in a bit of a daze.

"Hi." Merlin replied, returning Arthur's smile, "How do you feel?"

"Umm..."Arthur said while looking at his surroundings, "oddly sore. What happened?"

"That's a long story."Merlin replied, holding his breath, "I need to check something though."

Merlin leaned in and softly kissed Arthur, bringing both hands to his face. Their lips brushed against each other, and Merlin smiled through it as Arthur returned the gesture. Pulling back, Merlin simply said, "Wow, I really love Gaius."

Arthur laughed, "Ok, you need to tell me what happened." He said while sitting up.

"Well, basically, you were enchanted by Gerhardt into loving his daughter, Dalia. You brought her and her family here to Camelot, and you are both to be married... oh... two hours ago."

"What?" Arthur said, his eyes going wide.

"I guess the story wasn't really that long..." Merlin chided.

"So you mean to tell me, I'm supposed to be marrying some girl that I don't even know... tonight?" Arthur said, still in shock at the situation.

Merlin nodded, "That is, yes, that is what is happening."

Arthur got up and moved to the door, "I've got to go put a stop to this." He said.

Arthur headed immediately for the great hall, where Uther, Gwen, Morgana, Gerhardt, Silia, the counsellors and the priest were waiting. As he and Merlin entered, Uther went up to his son.

"Where have you been?" He said in a low but angry voice.

"Sorry father, it couldn't be avoided." Arthur said seriously, "It seems that, well I haven't been in my right mind these past few days."

"What?" Uther asked, confused.

"I can't marry Dalia, I do not love her."

Uther grabbed onto Arthur's arm and pulled him into a quiet corner. "You can't do this, Arthur. You made a promise to her family. You *will* marry this girl, despite your cold feet."

Arthur was about to argue back, when Dalia entered the room. Even though Uther tried to hold onto Arthur's arm, he moved free of his father and went up to Dalia.

"I think we need to talk." He said in a low voice.

"Yes, we definitely do." She returned, also looking worried.

"Maybe we can go somewhere more private..." Arthur began, leading her towards the door.

"Wait!" Dalia stopped, "Arthur, I cannot marry you. I realize this is very sudden and you must be awfully mad at me."

Arthur smiled, "No! I don't want to marry you either." He said, and they both started laughing. Arthur remembered himself, and added, "Though you're a beautiful and lovely girl."

"Thank you." She said, smiling and very relieved at Arthur's shared feelings.

Gerhardt went up to his daughter and Uther just looked on in shock. "Dalia, you're engaged to marry the Prince. What do you mean that you don't want to marry him. You love him!"

"No I don't!" she said to her father, and then turning to Arthur, "no offense."

"Oh, no, none taken. Don't love you either." He said, still smiling.

"I'm going to marry Rodrick." She proudly announced to her father, "and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"But he is just a blacksmith's apprentice. You could be the wife of a prince!" Gerhardt implored, frantic.

"Yes, please consider your future. Our future." Silia cried.

Gaius wandered up to Merlin and whispered to him, "It appears that the love transfer potion worked on both people." And Merlin suddenly felt very glad that he hadn't ruined Dalia's wedding dreams, but had instead freed her from the same illusion.

Mother, father and daughter left the hall, shouting and screaming. Uther just turned and buried his head in his hands as Arthur smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Well," he said to his son, "I suppose I should be grateful. She really wasn't the best match, politically."

Merlin beamed at Arthur and they left the hall, as everyone else also started to escape the awkward situation. Only Morgana remained, scowling at the back of Arthur's head and clenching her fists so tightly that the knuckles whitened. After a few minutes, she gathered her cloak and snuck out of the castle. Using the cover of darkness she moved past the guards and found her way to a secluded grove in the forest. While looking around earnestly, Morgause approached from behind.

"Sister. What is wrong?" she asked with concern.

"Our plan has failed." Morgana replied, angry.

Morgause looked down, collecting her thoughts and said, "No matter. He cannot evade us forever."

"But with Dalia by his side, the kingdom would have fallen apart, to know that their future King married a commoner. All the adjoining kingdoms, with their daughters waiting to form an alliance, would be furious to know that they weren't even considered. Camelot would stand vulnerable, and alone."

"We have time, sister." Morgause said, "We must be patient."

Morgana only turned and scowled, her anger trapping her jaw and sending wracking shivers through her tense body.

Arthur and Merlin entered Arthur's chambers, laughing and relieved.

"That could have been really bad." Arthur said.

"It very nearly was, you should have seen the way you were acting." Merlin replied, "Poetry, there was poetry Arthur."

Arthur just shook his head and flopped onto the bed.

"Thank you, Merlin." He said seriously, "You truly came to the rescue."

"It was nothing." Merlin sheepishly answered.

"Not true. I can't imagine how difficult it was to see me like that."

Merlin looked up.

"You must have assumed some terrible things..." Arthur continued.

"Maybe for a moment," Merlin said, "But when I heard you trying to rhyme "black hair" with "honey bear", I knew something was seriously wrong with you."

"Oh no." Arthur said, grasping his head in his hands, "I'll never live this down will I?"

"Probably not." Merlin replied. He approached the bed and stood in front of Arthur's legs, leaning in.

Arthur sat up, "I'm sorry I put you through this." He moved his hands to Merlin's back, bringing him closer. Merlin moaned at Arthur's touch, having gone so long without it. Arthur hugged Merlin's waist close and Merlin ran his hands through Arthur's hair. Merlin then sat down on the bed beside Arthur and took his head in his hands, kissing him gently.

Arthur took Merlin's hand and started kissing it, "I've missed this so much." Merlin whispered. Arthur got up from the bed and moved to the door, locking it. Merlin moved himself further onto the bed and took off his shoes. He then began lifting off his shirt as Arthur approached him, similarly disrobing. When Arthur reached Merlin, he pushed him onto his back, straddling over him on the bed. Merlin breathed heavily as Arthur undid his pants and then his own, sliding them off of their bodies. Soon, they were both naked with Arthur lying on top of Merlin, deeply kissing each other. Their hands roamed over each other's bodies and their lips soon followed. The feel of Merlin was intoxicating to Arthur, and he wondered briefly how he could have wanted anyone else.

Merlin's breathing was deep and fast as Arthur rolled off of him, similarly exhausted. Arthur pulled Merlin close, spooning himself against his lover's side. He could hear Arthur's breathing relax as he drifted off to sleep and Merlin lay there, simply enjoying the feel of his closeness.


End file.
